I started as an Accounts Payable officer, I was doing that role for approx. 2 years. In between that I covered the National Registrations Officer role for 6 months before taking on a Hire Controller role at Alexandria in Sydney. I was a Hire Controller for 18 months before becoming the youngest Branch Manager in Coates Hire’s then 226 branch network at the age of 20.

​

During my time as Branch Manager I have built several strong teams, turned around negative cultures, and supported some of the largest projects in the country including establishing and overlooking site facilities at Barangaroo and the Sydney Convention Centre. From there I became the 1st dual Branch Manager in NSW at Coates Hire with one of those branches being the largest T & E store in Sydney. During my last 10 years of Branch Manager I have trained and mentored several people into roles they desired including Managers, Sales and Operation Coordinators.

Who played a big influence in your career, and would you consider being a mentor for someone in the next generation?

My stepdad Doug Levings has played the largest role in my career. From day one he has been my mentor and I have grown so many skillsets thanks to him both professionally and personally. My goal since day 1 was to one day have people in the industry look up to me, as people do him. A wealth of knowledge, selfless, smart and always happy to help. So on the back of that, yes I do consider myself mentoring the future generation. I have a few people that I’ve trained over the years into successful roles and plan on continuing it as part of my growth and development just as much for theirs.

How has the equipment rental industry changed over the years?

The 2 most noticeable changes over the years I’ve noticed have been in;

Safety & Compliance – Safety really is #1. And these days the compliance requirements on customer sites is increasing not only from the amount of pre-work required to get gear onto sites, but also the amount of sites now requiring paperwork, risk assessments, certifications and specific modifications / requirements on equipment. It’s become the new norm! Also the way that people would ‘quickly do a job’ & the whole ‘She’ll be right’ mentality has definitely shifted with people having a much heightened sense of situational awareness.

​

Digital Space. Like with anything in today’s general culture, technology is key. Everything is only a touch away. From the way orders are placed, to the way we raise contracts, operations of transport and everything in between. These days, when our computers go down for even an hour we feel lost and cannot complete our tasks at hand. It wasn’t that long ago that we weren’t so reliant on technology but in today’s age, would couldn’t live without it. I remember taking orders, invoicing, arranging truck drivers runs, stocktake and more being all pen to paper type systems!

What one piece of advice do you think would have helped you early in your career?

In 3 words - Believe in yourself!!

​

Shape your own opinion based on your own judgements and back yourself. Make decisions, and if you don’t get the desired outcome, as long as you can justify why you went with the option you did, you will be fine. The learnings alone from experiences go further with your development and recognition.

How do you define success and what was a defining moment or event in your career?